The Textbook Staycation

Many people are thinking twice about making travel plans at the moment due to the unfortunate outbreak of COVID-19. If this risk wasn’t reason enough to reconsider travel, the uncertainty around this virus is taking a toll on the markets. While I have every expectation the markets will recover, your Canadian dollar may no longer go as far in the sunny south as it did a few weeks ago.

You now have two perfectly sensible reasons to stay home this month – it’s time to seriously consider a staycation.

stay·ca·tion

/ˌstāˈkāSHn/

noun

1.    a vacation spent in one’s home country rather than abroad, or one spent at home and involving day trips to local attractions.

The best thing about March Break is the opportunity to spend time with your children with no schedule or agenda. The worst thing about March Break is the opportunity to spend time with your children with no schedule or agenda!

You may be apprehensive about staying home all week with your youngsters (you may even be apprehensive about staying home all week with your spouse!). Why not consider some of these wonderful spring adventures that you can do with the whole family (and, in brackets, similar activities you can do sans enfants).

Top Seven Staycation Activities (one for every day of the week!):

1.       Sign-up for a cooking class – most local grocery stores now boast spacious community kitchens that run cooking events almost daily, most of them geared to family (and if your budget permits, research the possibility of taking  a cooking class sponsored by one of your favourite chefs)

2.       Purchase tickets to a performance – okay sure, so maybe the giant purple dinosaur isn’t touring as often as he used to, but check out your local performing arts centres and there are sure to be a host of children’s performances to choose from. Don’t forget to explore your local museums as they often hold family-friendly performances as well (and if your budget permits, take in that theatre performance or musical that you thought you’re not going to get to see in the Big Apple after all).

3.       Take in a sporting event –try a sport new to your community that involves a little research (or maybe splurge and get the better seats for your favourite local team event and splurge on fan gear)

4.       Volunteer at a local charity – many hands make light work as the saying goes, and even if they’re little hands of your youngsters, chipping in at your local food bank teaches everyone a powerful lesson about gratitude (you could even consider taking some extra time and research community groups that need volunteers to cook for those at home who are self-quarantining).

5.       Explore a new neighbourhood – consider a day of multiculturalism exploring both the shops and restaurants in a neighbourhood you’ve never or not recently explored, and have your children learn how to say ‘thank you’ in the language most likely spoken in that neighbourhood – you’re bound to make some new friends (this adventure would suit couples as well!)

6.       Go visit an indoor theme park – forget the golden arches’ playworld, go find the one that will truly exhaust your youngsters, but don’t leave home without the sanitizer and Advil (and for you couples  – do not pass GO – go straight to the spa and enjoy a leisurely afternoon being ruthlessly pampered);

7.       Plan a themed dinner night or indoor picnic at home – why not have breakfast for dinner and everyone gets to wear pyjamas to the dinner table? (and I’ma just gonna put it right here that the menu and the costumes might be a little different with just the two of you invited; nudge, nudge, wink, wink!)

There are but a few suggestions and if they are not to your liking go ahead and hop on that plane to Disney World (or the south of France). Alternatively, you can check out the official website of your city’s tourism. Not all is lost with travel restrictions¹ this month.

If you don’t have children, please take my recommendations with a grain of salt.

If you do have children, please consider my recommendations with a few grains of salt, a slice of lemon, and a shot of tequila.

Keep calm and March on!

~ Astra